FRANCE

FANTASTIQUE FUCKUPS in FRANCE

Tue, 4 Jan

WhatthefuckamIdoinginFrance§?§!

Yesterday I got on the bus to London, but British Customs refused me entry at the start of the tunnel on the edge of France.
Because it was land entry I wasn't expecting any kind of ordeal so wasn't dressed up (down?) like with US customs. Probably especially as I was coming from the drug-infested 'Dam, they took one sniff of me and searched everything I was carrying thoroughly. Nothing illegal, but lots of weird books, photos etc. and a tattoo gun they thought I might work with. I didn't have a bank statement as evidence of my funds for the stay, because the ATMs in the 'Dam don't print your balance. I asked them to ring my bank and they haughtily informed me it was a bank holiday. They gave me a refusal form ending with, 'This decision is final and cannot be appealed'. The non-English-speaking local police dropped me off rather confused in an ugly shopping centre in a suburb of France.
I don't know anyone here (Paris now –caught a bus in) and unlike in Holland, not many people here (inc. phone operators) seem to speak English. I spent ridiculous hours on phone trying to sort out how to get back to US (flight is supposed to be from London)_no luck yet. weird keyboard; snails and frog legs in cream (kept the bones for my septum piercing -charm de le voltiguer!) for dinner made me feel better but its all a mess and an expensive one so far
-anyone have any French contacts?

Fri, 7 Jan 2000

Nu Moon Labyrinth - Chartres Cathedral

With my current situation participating in the moonthly nu moon ritual of the Horus-Maat Lodge was the last thing on my conscious mind, in fact I didn't even realize til today that it was nu moon yesterday -and without premeditation I'd done an intense ritual then!
I went out to the little town of Chartres to the Cathedral, to walk the 13-Star Labyrinth there which Chelidon showed me in a book a month or so ago.

The cathedral is a totally awesome old gothic building, however I was a-mazed to find there were rows of chairs covering most of the sacred Labyrinth!
So I walked it anyway, stepping from chair to chair. When I got to the centre in the aisle I sat and did pranayama and merkabah meditations for about 40 mins -these felt much more intense and expansive than usual.
Then I went back out, again stepping from chairtop to chairtop. This took another 20-30 minutes, yet mysteriously only after the journey was complete did the attendant come and tell me off. I asked him why the chairs were there and he said the bishop had decreed it, they were only removed temporarily every June.

Strange to find a 13-point pattern (lunar, feminine) in a Christian cathedral, not surprising it was covered. I felt like my persistence in walking it anyway clicked something. During the expansive meditation I had focused unexpectedly on peace between pagans and christians.

The main huge stained glass window above the front door of the Cathedral depicts 12 zodiacal circles around a larger one (the sun) -an interesting reflection of our New Year/Millenium rite (12 encircling fires)as I photographed it from atop the tower.

I found another labyrinth, deserted in a field behind the cathedral. I walked to the central solar mandala and stuck my TuskQyl Draqyl staff in the earth at the axis mundi, offering a prayer to N'aton ('of the sun') that all religions and all peoples will be united in global peace.
After wandering in the rain through the narrow cobbled streets of the surrounding medieval village for a few hours, eating delicious pistachio macaroons, high as a kite on the rituals, meditations and beauteous surroundings, I returned to Paris and discovered it was nu moon.

{Other January 2000 Nu Moon Rites of the 11-star Site performed my members of the 11-Star Collegiate of the Horus-Maat Lodge linked with the rites above.}

Seems my rite has helped me through the red tape labyrinth too, as today I am finally onto a solution to my travel problems. The Ganesha mantra probably helped too -thanks Aion!

The day before Chartres I blew my little mind in the Louvre Gallery. The voluminous Egyptian collection is fantastique! Merci...

Sun, 9 Jan 2000

Au Revoir

Here´s a poem I wrote on the bus to Spain:

ON FINDING MYSELF IN PARIS BY MISTAKE:

With only Ganesha to guide me,
Navigating the World Wide Web of Obstacles
Nonvirtual Actual labyrinthine subways
The ugly neon squares and tunnels
To and from the ancient monuments magnifique
Tickets, phone cards, gelders, francs, dollars,
Machines, numbers, banks, tellers,
Corridors of grey
This is the Way we get Away from them all
Into Le Grande Arches, le architecture of spectacle
Le Grandeur, le Galleries, le Louvre,
Le Magnifique, le yuppies, le traffique,
Le 12-year-olds with mobile phones.

Escape to the dim stillness within Chartres Cathedral
Stained glass light, cobalt glow, shadows and shutters and soft shudders.
Stillness in the centre of the labyrinth
Then wandering in the rain through narrow cobbled streets,
Between ancient crumbling stonework and quaint small bars and cafes, macaroons melting in my mouth...
Until back to the bus, the bustle and the hustle and the hassle and the horrid hostel hostile,
Until navigating escape.
Au Revoir, land of contrast...

je na parler pas francais!!!

Text and photographs copyright © 2000 Orryelle Defenestrate.

NEXT in my TRAVEL JOURNALS:

SURREALISM in SPAIN

MUTATION PARLOUR HOMEPAGE